I remember reading once that there are people that are more open to talking about their sex lives as opposed to their financial situation.
I found that random strangers at the gym would more easily brag about their sex lives than they were to talk about their stock portfolio or their savings account. Even with my friends I know that rarely will we ever talk about our savings. I now really do think that people are more likely to talk about their sex lives than their financial situation.
I find that personal finance blogs rarely dwell into the area of sex. Maybe they don’t think it’s inappropriate, are married, or just don’t know how to connect it. I personally think that sex is very important when it comes to personal finance. I also find that the topics are highly connected.
How’s getting laid connected to personal finance?
You can be the most frugal person until you meet the partner of your dreams and want to spend every dollar on them.
You can be in a position where you’re single and constantly going out in hopes of meeting someone. In the process of going out you can be spending lots of money.
You can love the chase like I do. If you enjoy the chase you’ll find yourself going out fairly often.
You might be in a relationship with a person that has different views on money than you do. The sex is what keeps you together. The money pulls you apart.
There are many more reasons for how you can relate getting laid to personal finance. This is all that I could think of on the top of my head.
Why is your love life so important when it comes to money management?
Your spending changes based on your relationship status.
One of my friends recently spent $5,000 on an engagement ring. I immediately saw this as throwing away 5 future trips. Five thousand bucks is a lot of money to spend on a ring. At this very moment I would love to spend that money on a world trip. As we can see through our friends and in our own lives, your spending will change based on your relationship situation.
Now don’t get me wrong I’m not a hypocrite. I understand that one day I’ll be spending a couple grand on a ring one day in a thousand years. At this point in time it just baffles me.
Your financial picture affects your future love life.
Right now you could be single and spending money on trips and enjoying life. Four years down the road you can find yourself engaged and ready to get married.
Will any of your financial mistakes in the past affect your love life?
Yes.
Imagine going in to apply for a home mortgage only to find out that your credit score or your partner’s credit score is in the toilet? That would really suck. Your future financial situation will directly impact the decisions that you will make with your future partner. This is why it helps it be prepared.
Your perspective changes.
When you’re in a serious relationship you’re not as inclined to go out as often as you would be if you were single. When you’re single it’s tempting to go out more often.
You simply have a different perspective depending on your relationship status. As a single dude you can be spending more money by going out. Then when you get a girlfriend you might still spend just as much money, just on her.
When you’re single you’re likely to spend more money on taking care of yourself. When you’re in a relationship (or just getting laid) you might not care as much about getting your hair cut as often.
Money affects your relationship.
I’ve heard from people much wiser than me that money is one of the most common reasons for marriages ending. This makes sense though.
What if you want to save your money for retirement while your partner wants to spend it all on technology? What if you want to travel but your boyfriend is to cheap to even leave home? I really do believe that money has a great impact on all relationships.
At the end of the day I find that getting laid is very important when it comes to personal finance.
Do you agree/disagree with my thoughts? How important is getting laid/your love life when it comes to your unique financial situation?
My husband and I are happier people in general when we’re amorous – that leads me to be clear-headed and energetic. I guess you could say I wouldn’t have the motivation I do with my personal finance blog if my husband and I weren’t still doing it like rabbits 6 years into our marriage…
I read in a forum once about a young single guy who had all of these big savings goals. He just left school and got a corporate job and was going work 60-70 hours a week for 20 years and then retire early with millions of dollars in the bank. He was renting a tiny apartment and presumably going to live in it (with a roommate, no less) for the entire 20 years while taking the bus to work.
This guy was totally delusional, and the reality is that he is probably going to meet a girl in the first few months of his job, and once that happens his savings goals will likely change from socking away 60% of his income to spending money on her like there’s no tomorrow.
You definitely need to include love (or the pursuit of love) in your financial plan.
I want to pay off our mortgage as quickly as possible while still saving as much money as I can for retirement. But it’s our 5 year wedding anniversary next year and I’ll bet my wife would really enjoy a trip somewhere (without the kids!).
Which one of those choices will get me laid?
I’m thinking that a getaway without the kids is mandatory. That’s just me though.
I think it’s important to be realistic. You never know what will happen and who you’ll meet in life (good and bad). I know people that scoffed at the idea of marriage and are now married.
“The pursuit of love”– what a nice way to put it!
There is also a biological connection that can’t be denied. Men are hardwired to be competitive hunter/gatherers. Women are attracted to successful, competent men who can provide for them and their children as a result of evolution (or at least this has been high speculated). Do men seek to build up fortunes in order to appear more successful and consequently get laid? I also wonder if men (on average) are more attracted or intimidated by women who have amassed wealth?
Personally speaking I can say that I’m more attracted to independent women. Wealth doesn’t matter. What matters is that they have their own thing going on. I really respect that.
What are your answers btw?
One thing that is important about your love life is that it is something you can have a deep impact on (no pun intended). Your savings account is impacted by many things out of your control and has a reward only realized years in the future. However, going on the hunt (which I love too) provides benefits (and stories) right now and I can impact it directly. There is lots to love about the money you spend on getting laid, plus there are severe diminishing returns on that activity (Hello Mr. 50 year old at the bar). So, I agree with you, your love life is worth investing in.
The chase can definitely be expensive, albeit really fun. The good part is that over time you can learn how to cut back on your spending.
We’re now at the point where we see who can spend the least money on going out. We take pride in who can look the best with spending the least amount of money. You really don’t need to spend lots of money to have a great time. The sooner you learn this the better off you will be both emotionally and financially.
Awesome Post. Period. Anything combining money and getting laid makes for a good post. That, and it feels like the envelope is really being pushed with this post considering how prude-ish most personal finance blogs are. Hell, even though I try to keep my own blog (Go Be Rich.com) fairly exciting and edgy, even I haven’t touched on anything about sex.
Anyway, yes, the chase can become quite expensive. Luckily I’ve gotten in with a group of friends that prefer to stay at home on the weekends, get a 30-pack of beer, and invite new/different people over every weekend to hang out. About half of the ones that show up are attractive females. Makes for a good weekend.
It is kinda odd that most people are more comfortable talking about sex than their finances. I’d have to say that sex and finance are linked, especially for men. lol Especially since they are typically seen as the breadwinners and responsible for making their wife happy. Though it is important for a couple to be on the same page financially speaking, however, like Crystal mentioned, certain activities that couples share trump finances.